


Movie Marathon Musings

by TheMockingCrows



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Awkwardness, Confessions, First Kiss, M/M, Movie Night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-01
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-22 00:37:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11368932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMockingCrows/pseuds/TheMockingCrows
Summary: What was meant to be a movie night, a night for best bros being bros, turns awkward fast when John begins to realize just how much his mind wanders when Dave falls asleep against him in the middle of a Lord of the Rings marathon. Has he been not noticing things that were directly in front of him..? Or is he imagining things that aren't there to begin with?





	Movie Marathon Musings

**Author's Note:**

> Written for JohnDave week on tumblr. Written for/inspired by a piece of art by Stribird - http://stribird.tumblr.com/post/145237894607/bonus-tfw-you-are-gayer-for-your-best-bro-than
> 
> tumblr mirror: http://themockingcrows.tumblr.com/post/162550304141

     It was supposed to be a movie night. A normal, standard, bro hangout time filled with action sequences, awesome music and way too much junk food. John had been promised nachos and popcorn, sodas, and acting out the sequences he and Dave knew word for word by heart, because really what the fuck else happens when two people know the same movies so well and are in the same room together for this many hours? Admit it, it totally happens.

     It was supposed to be all that, at least. But it wasn't.

     By the time they'd finished The Fellowship Of The Ring, half the snacks were gone and the all too familiar lazy cozy feeling started to sink into their bones. That strange, hypnotic sensation that came with movie marathons like this, brains slowing down to run more like background noise than anything active, everything on auto-pilot. A robbery could happen in that stage and the pair would probably look up and tell the perpetrator to be quiet and maybe turn the flashlight off to keep the nice dim atmosphere going.

     Dave got up and yawned, stretching as he shook his arms and then his legs out to wake his limbs back up, and went to put the next movie in.

     “Hey, don't tell me you're tired already,” John said, changing his own position to sit more upright once again, having spent the last hour of the movie laying on his side slumped against the edge of the sofa. He was fairly sure he could make out circles under Dave's eyes.. but then again, shades make everything look a little shadowed and he usually had trouble sleeping. Maybe it was catching up to him during the hypnotic drone of hobbits and magic.

     “Me? Tired? Nah, man, I'm relaxed. I'm in this for the long haul. We can watch the other three movies after we finish these ones if you still feel up to it. Maybe order a pizza, make fun of Cucumberdick, take shots every time someone's Extra.”

     “Dave, you'll kill me if we do that. Alcohol poisoning is a thing, Dave, my liver will sue.”

     After ensuring everything was set and the completed movie was put back safely in its case, Dave returned to take a seat beside John and slouched back against the cushions, just close enough for their upper arms to touch. Warm, casual proximity. It was something John loved about hanging out with Dave, that connection feeling. It always made him feel so warm..

     “Let it sue, then. Or we could be doing juice shots or something else cheap considering how many fuckin' hours of movies there are to sit through. Or if you REALLY want a great idea, we can attach somethin' dumb to the screen and take a dab of hot sauce every time a character lines up with it just right.”

     “That's a WORSE idea, though!”

     “Worse, or better.”

     “Worse, I literally just said that, WORSE!”

     “You say that now, but you'll come to understand my genius later and regret shit talkin' me about it,”Dave declared as he reached for the remote and flopped back again, lifting his feet to prop them up on the coffee table in a clear spot.

     “Your genius is chock full of half baked ideas and bullshit,” John said, punching his friend's upper arm with maybe enough force to sting before settling on the cushions again when no immediate counter attack seemed coming his way. “And hot sauce.” ..Huh. Maybe Dave actually WAS tired. Most he'd done was sway with the pressure and smirk at him.

     “Sounds like good ideas if they're bullshit to you and coated in hot sauce. Spicy wing challenge this bitch: we do nothin' except what I say for 24 hours, no questions asked. Hope you like Vegas, John, it'll be a hell of an experience,” Dave said as he found his way through the menu and set up the subtitles, voice a little quieter but still plenty clear.

     “No. In fact, _hell_ no. That's the worst idea ever, Dave, we'd probably wake up the next day in ugly suits in a heart shaped tub, married and surrounded by Elvis impersonators offering us fancy crepes,” John said, sticking his tongue out. Why the hell had his mind jumped that direction? Well. Wasn't that what normally happened during Vegas blackouts with best friends? Get sloppy drunk together, want to be together forever, and run off to get married then wake up to the results and scramble for an annulment? It was all over movies and stuff as the most common trope, had to happen at least ONCE in a while.

     “Aw, John, you proposing? Does it have to be crepes, can the accumulated Elvii in our presence offer like. I dunno, a burrito as big as my head instead? Everything's bigger in Vegas, hook me up, let me eat well during my honeymoon at least.”

     “I'm no-!”

     “At least I know how you feel now, even if it involves some ugly ass suits. Remind me during Spicy Wing Challenge Dave Day to get us something decent to wear before getting' smashed so we at least can avoid the fate that is being forever immortalized on film in Dumb and Dumber-esque suits, oh Lloyd to my Harry.”

     “Oh shut up, it was just the first thing that came to mind,” John huffed, reaching his foot up to thwack the side of Dave's calf before setting again with a pout firmly on his lips as the opening sequence finished and the rest of the movie began to filter into the dim lighting of the room just like before to lull them back to peace. Dave snorted, slapped loosely at him with his far hand, then went still to watch the screen. It's why they were here, after all: watch the movies like a ritual, eat way too much junk food, have some chill bro time.

     Till Dave fell asleep.

     John saw the struggle happening on screen at the same time as he saw it happening on Dave's face, lips going slack and head drooping forward a few times in a row, only to be jerked upright as he startled awake. Enough times of this, of swaying in place with fatigue, and Dave eventually leaned towards the only other source of warmth on the couch: right snug against John's side. It wasn't the first time he'd done this, not by a long shot. A lot of movie marathons involved a Dave nap for some reason, just like clockwork, to the point where John sometimes wondered if part of the reason he wanted to do super long marathons was so he could get some good sleep in with the help of his roped in buddy.

     It was.. kind of hard to not stare, John found. The flickering lights from the screen painted Dave's pale hair with different colors, catching the highlights and turning pastel for brief mmoments before going brighter than white and back again. It highlighted the hollows of his cheeks, the edges of his lips, and even the flash of his lashes behind his shades. Like this, limp and mouth half open to softly breathe, it was hard for John to picture anything other than the word 'beautiful'. What the fuck, even his guy friends were pretty, he was surrounded by beautiful people, what the fuuuuuuuuck.

     Dave shifted as John stared at him, cuddling a bit closer and heaving a soft sigh out his nose as his lips closed a fraction. Yep. Still pretty. Still nearly-but-not-quite snoring. Still curled up against him like he was renting property on John's torso. Still... ...Still..

     ..Fuck.

     What John had said jokingly about Vegas earlier was flickering in his mind like wildfire, and he wanted to scream. Namely, what would Dave look like in a suit. No. John knew what he'd look like in a suit, he owned two and looked like a completely different person when he was wearing them, his mind was wondering how he'd look in a suit crammed in an empty heart shaped tub, sleeping off a hangover perfumed by cologne and cocktails. Would he be cuddled close like this against John's body, breathing soft, completely trusting and relaxed? Would the hand resting on his own stomach be sporting a wedding band the right size, or would it be ridiculously over sized for his slim hands? Would he rush to get an annulment soon as he was coherent?

… What if he didn't? What if that was just A Thing?

     John hissed a soft breath and shook his head, looking to the screen as if he'd been electrocuted. Wow, holy shit, he'd been in a daze for probably fifteen minutes if he remembered the movie right. Or was it twenty? Twenty fucking minutes daydreaming about being married to his hot friend in Vega-

     WHOA, WOW, NO, WAIT, HOLD THE FUCK UP. John could hear brakes slamming on, tires skidding, and he was only half certain it was inside his own mind for how loud it was. His heart hammered and warmth his his cheeks, making him thankful that not only was Dave asleep, but that he wouldn't have to ever explain the weird as hell progression his thoughts were taking all at once. He'd thought Dave was pretty. Beautiful, even. Aesthetically pleasing. Totally different connotation than hot. DIFFERENT. D. I . F. F. E. R. E. N. T. Somehow.

     Though. ..Being perfectly honest, he _was_ hot. It was weird to think that about your best bro though, right? It was weird to think that about any of his friends even if it was true, and John knew better than to say it, but it didn't stop the obvious from being obvious. Or the obvious from being nestled beside him like a cat in sunlight, warm and just enough weight to feel substantial.

     ...Could he put his arm around him? Would that be weird? It'd be weird, wouldn't it. Why did he want to put his arm around him. Oh. Yes, because he was sleeping and it'd suck if he fell or rolled off the couch somehow, right? No. Because he was pressing against John's arm awkwardly and making it numb? Maybe. Yeah, that might be it, that sounded plausible, right? Biting his lower lip, John carefully wiggled his arm and lifted it, letting Dave drop an inch so he was flat against his ribs. In his daze, Dave briefly startled with a soft “Mhh?” but didn't wake fully, letting his body seek the more direct warmth, planting his face against the side of John's t-shirt and beginning to slowly breathe again.

     Another soft, barely there sound came from Dave. A satisfied “Nnn..” on a particularly long, slow exhale, and John felt his heart clench tight as a fist in his chest as his stomach flipped. Fuck. Danger. Danger, danger, danger, he was hearing the claxon in his head but couldn't stop his mind from wandering. The adventure unfolding on screen, familiar as wonderful as it was, wasn't nearly as interesting as the short guy nested on the sofa with him. John held his breath as he lowered his hand slowly, the Mission Impossible theme trying to invade his thoughts, and settled his palm on his friend's hip.

     No complaints, no shuffling. If anything, Dave seemed.. happy? Maybe it was just the extra security feeling of being held at play, John couldn't even begin to guess. Hell, he couldn't begin to _breathe_ properly anymore. This was a lot to be coming to terms with for a guy, especially while war was being waged about six feet away to epic music.

     John's best friend was hot, and he was acutely aware of it. John's hot best friend, Dave, was fast asleep under his arm like it was his second home, and his hand was on his hip like it belonged there. Said hot best friend, who happens to look amazing in a suit, would probably look great at a wedding in Vegas. Preferably hooked on John's arm and looking excited instead of absolutely shitfaced drunk. He looked great when he smiled, and John loved making him laugh specifically to get that crooked quirk of his lips to explode into a full blown laugh as often as he could. The sound made his own spirits lift like clouds, made him feel giddy, made his chest ache an-

     ..Oh.

     Oh, god, was that what this was? Was that was a crush was? It was, right? John had felt the patter in his chest a few times in his life, but never quite like this: where it felt so good it hurt. Was this a crush on Dave?

     Fuck, how long had this been happening? John's mind raced and his pulse picked up, warmth spreading sharply down his neck as the flush grew more and more intense. Fuck. FUCK, THIS WAS TOTALLY A FUCKING CRUSH, WHY DID HE NEVER NOTICE THAT?! He slapped his own forehead with his free hand and stifled a strangled screech of frustration best he could, squirming in place, trying to not kick his legs to avoid jostling the sleeper against his side too much.

     John 'My Emotional Processing Skills Are Equivalent To Windows Explorer' Egbert had struck again, and he wanted to crawl into a pit and die. Years. Literal years. Years worth of interactions, of feeling that tug in his chest, that ache when he heard Dave had brief relationships that hadn't quite worked out that wasn't anywhere near the sensation of feeling happy for your friend being happy. Fucking. Years. YEARS of missing his own point, smiling, and carrying on while his heart was on fire.

     Had anyone noticed? Was he giving off some kind of signal? ...Had DAVE ever tried to put off a signal? Did Dave know? Oh, fuck, did Dave know and think he knew and he DIDN'T know so he didn-

     “...Oh. Shit,” Dave mumbled, shifting under John's arm and pushing himself to sit upright, rubbing at his face and yawning. “Fuck. Sorry, man, your supreme coziness struck again. You're gonna start chargin' by the hour soon, huh.” His accent was a bit thicker whenever he was sleepy, slow and sweet like syrup over top the rough crags of sleepiness. When John didn't respond to him, he looked up in confusion, wondering if the movie marathon had claimed a second victim. If so, it was DEFINITELY time for a snack break, maybe a quick jog to the store for a few energy drinks.

     John was red. Unbelievably red in the face, from his cheeks to his ears to his neck down past the front dip of his t-shirt. He was all but radiating heat, expression startled, lips parted as if he'd tried to shriek and failed.

     “..Uh. John? Yo. John. Earth to John, you alright?” Dave asked, brows furrowing. “You feeling sick or something?”

     At a loss for words and unable to explain things let alone control himself perfectly, John let out the strangled shriek of a squeal he'd tried to contain earlier, completely in line with his own thoughts as he tossed his head back on the couch cushions, rolled his body, and let his legs flail over Dave's like an extension of the sofa as he covered his face. This was going to take a lot of explaining, he could already feel it.

     ..With any luck, Dave would enjoy hearing it all, though, rambly and confusing as it was. It was apparently a long time coming, and he could only hope Dave not only understood, but was interested in figuring out just how many signs he'd missed.

     “What, finally pop a boner 'cause someone hot as me was sleeping on you?” Dave asked, lips lifting in his usual smirk as he shifted his position to follow where John had rolled, climbing on him without a second's hesitation, too familiar with John by that point to second guess the action. “Or do you pop'em all the time and only now got busted?”

     “It's. ..Fuck. You wouldn't understand. I don't understand! I don't understand a goddamn thing apparently, but here we are! And here you are! And me! And us! An-”

     “How about you take a breath and try to tell me clear as you can, a'ight?” Dave said, dropping down so his chin was rested on his folded hands, peering at John from atop his chest. “From the beginning.”

     “It might.. take a while.”

     “I can handle it. You're comfortable.”

     “You're not helping!”

     “Sure I am. I'm keepin' you from jumping up and running around like a chicken with your head cut off so you can talk about what's making you scream. What'd I miss between falling asleep and waking up,” Dave insisted. “Inquiring minds wanna know, John.”

     “I just. ..I was remembering things and felt really stupid, so don't mind me,” John insisted, waving his hand as if to dispel any further curiosity. “I realized I'd not caught on to something obvious, realized how long it's been that way, and wanted to kick myself and then you woke up so it was. ..Yeah.”

     “What, finally figured out I was hitting on you?”

     “No, I wa- what. What?”

     Dave quirked a brow and stared at him. “...Seriously? Not even a hint? A'ight, I guess scrap that then, what were yo-”

     “No! No, don't scrap it, I just don't get what you mean!” John said hurriedly, uncovering his face to stare up at Dave. “When were you hitting on me? I didn't know you were at any point, when were you?”

     “When wasn't I. Holy shit, am I that bad at passing on the message or are you just really bad at answering the other end of the line?” Dave asked, brows furrowing as he let his head roll to the side.

     “This! This is what I was screaming about! Just. Not the hitting on me thing, I didn't know that, I was-. I'm. I mean, I didn't. ...I didn't know,” John admitted. “I just thought you were being my best friend.”

     Dave groaned a bit.

     “I AM your best friend, you douche. I always wanna be your best friend, I don't want that to stop. I just thought, hey, we get along great and we're already always together so. ..Why not combined them, y'know? Maybe that might work as a bit more, and as a fallback we'd still be best bros,” Dave said. He wondered if that was part of the reason his other attempts at dating hadn't really gone so well: there just wasn't as much in common as with John, wasn't that urge to stick next to him, to see what kinds of plans they could make together for maximum fun. He could see a Vegas wedding happening between them earlier when John made that joke, and it hadn't made his stomach drop in terror or worry.

     Being married to his best friend in the world? Sign him the fuck up. Take all the stress and worry and confusion out of things, just roll along in that same well oiled flow he and John had after years of being partners in crime.

     “..Okay. So. I know I literally just said that I didn't notice any of this, and I'm kicking myself for not realizing shit for actual full years, but I'm gonna go ahead and ask. Are you being serious right now, o-”

     “YES. Fuck, John, throw me a bone here. I'm being serious, we are having this conversation right now, this is a thing that is happening to you, this is me projecting my intent as loud and clear as I functionally can without catching on fire from removing my cloak of irony and sarcasm for this long,” Dave said. “..What do you say, man?”

     “I say. ...I say you're pinching my spleen, move your elbow.”

     “JOHN.”

     “Okay! Geeze, trying to deflect stress with a joke not recommended, got it, John said, lifting his hands immediately. “I uh. ..I guess? We kinda are together all the time anyway, what would even change?” He hadn't officially dated anyone before, but from seeing his friends and people around him there weren't usually that many changes.

     “Nope. We'd basically be the exact same as usual. Hang out, go places together, chill a lot, talk. Same old same old. There'd just be more reason to do this,” Dave said, scooting his body forward on John's torso to press their lips together for a brief moment. Again, John froze, eyes widening, face scarlet as highlighted by the movie still droning on nearby, mouth opening and closing a few slow times like a fish. Short circuit: achieved.

     “... I'll let ya think on it,” Dave said, amused. “Though, that'd probably require another sample, huh,” he reasoned, dipping down again for another kiss, holding it longer this time.

     While John eventually agreed out loud to giving the dating thing a try, it took the rest of the film's length worth of samples to help convince him it was a fantastic idea, with a promise of more after a snack break. After all: there was more movie to get through and keep awake during.

     Easy.

 


End file.
